10 of the Best Music Videos of 2016—So Far

From moving messages to upbeat features, music legends to viral stars, these were the videos that captivated us the most in 2016. Watch them all below, and check back in at the end of the year for an updated list.

"Endless" — Frank Ocean

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Looped clips from this video on Ocean's website are what heightened the craze over his then-unreleased second album. When "Endless" finally released in full, it ended up being an 18-track record. The beauty of the video doesn't lie within the visuals (a black and white livestream format of Ocean building a staircase in a warehouse), but in the music, which altogether amounted to an unconventional medium for an album. Watch "Endless" on Apple Music here.

"Formation" — Beyoncé

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This list would be more than twice as long if we could include the entirety of Lemonade, but if we had to narrow down to just one, "Formation" comes first (and "Hold Up" comes at a very close second). Beyonce was right to choose this as the precursor to her second visual album; it perfectly teased themes of Antebellum fashion, southern hip hop culture, black female empowerment and statements against police brutality, all of which we would see later on in the full work.

"Fade" — Kanye West

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As confusing as it is alluring, West's "Fade" features breakout star Teyana Taylor (and her incredible body) in a modern Flashdance-esque dance sequence in a gym, coupled with a quick shower scene with her husband Iman Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a closing shot where she wears a cat face surrounded by a flock of sheep. Bewildering as it looks, the feline mask makes sense—it represents Taylor "coming into her fierceness."

"The Greatest" — Sia

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Tapping teenage dance sensation Maddie Ziegler is no new feat for Sia, but making a statement this strong might be. The entire sequence of this music video is a tribute to the those who died in the Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub earlier this year, as the visuals and choreography paralleled details and scenes from the tragedy. But the video also relays a message of hope and resilience; Ziegler wears rainbow stripes on her face as a nod to the gay community and Sia's repetitive hook sings, "I got stamina."

"Lazarus" — David Bowie

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Bowie's genius shone through his music videos until the very end. Just days before his untimely passing in January, he released the video for his single "Lazarus," which, as the Biblical-inspired title alludes, shows a dead man coming back to life. It's obvious now that Bowie wrote the song, and the rest of his last album Blackstar, with the knowledge that his days were numbered.

"Cranes in the Sky" — Solange

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A Seat at the Table earned Solange her first number one album, and along with it came two visually stunning videos (so far). "Cranes," one of the pair, had a minimalist sequence, but showcased the singer in unconventionally chic costumes (that only she could pull off) backdropped by gorgeous settings. The secluded locations subtly reflect the song's themes of exclusion in society, which black women in America experience far too often.

"Kill v. Maim" — Grimes

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The indie singer has a penchant for pushing the envelope with her music—videos included. For a favorite off her latest album Art Angels, which released last November, she and her brother directed a clip that included a twitchy dance sequence in a grimy subway, neon-lit driving shots, Anime-inspired doodles, a literal danceclub bloodbath and an unexpected way to wear that coveted Versace sweatshirt (with vampire teeth, ski goggles and black angel wings).

"Desire" — Years & Years ft. Tove Lo

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British electro-pop trio created some online controversy with this video because it came off as "graphic" to some viewers, as it contained some nudity, gay sexual themes and a full-on orgy at the end, but frontman Olly Alexander, a rising figure in music's LGBT community, explained that the purpose was not to drop jaws, but to highlight existing sexualities that aren't male-female. "Let's face it there are a lot of other sexualities and identities that are well deserving of some shiny pop video love," he wrote in a Facebook post. "I've been wanting to make a video with some of my queer family for a long time and 'Desire' felt like the right time to do it"

"Drone Bomb Me" — Anohni

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Anohni—former frontwoman of Antony and the Johnsons—tapped some of fashion's biggest forces for a video that comes off as equally mesmerising and moving. Naomi Campbell stars and lip syncs and Riccardo Tisci artistic directs. The song, off the English singer's album Hopelessness, is narrated from the perspective of a young child whose parents were killed by a drone strike and begs to be taken next. The visuals, which showcase Campbell crying up close, reflect the darkness in the lyrics, although the tune is set to a dance track.

"Work" —Rihanna ft. Drake

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Rihanna's biggest hit of the year deserved more than one video, so she got two back-to-back clips clocking in at under eight minutes long. The first half, directed by Director X, is a lively night out at The Real Jerk Caribbean restaurant in Toronto (where her costar Drake is a regular), while the second half, by Tim Erem, is a more intimate sequence where the two are left one-on-one. Catchy as the song is, it's the duo's chemistry that really carries you through both videos.

Erica GonzalesErica Gonzales is the Culture and Content Strategy Editor for BAZAAR.com, where she oversees news and culture coverage, including celebrity, music, TV, movies, and more.

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